Educational inclusion relates to all children accessing and meaningfully participating in quality education, in ways that are responsive to their individual needs. The terms ‘inclusion’ and inclusive education’ are often used in relation to children with disabilities and/or special needs and emerged partly out of debates to reduce their segregation from mainstream schooling.
A blind student reads Braille in the Uhuru Boarding School in Tanzania, which tries to integrate deaf and blind students into classes with children who have no disabilities. Dieter Telemans, Panos Pictures, 2008
Other articles in this issue:
Addressing the education needs of pastoralist groups in South Asia
Pastoralist groups are widely distributed across South Asia but their lifestyles and educational needs are far less recognised than their counterparts in Africa.
More...
Girls’ education in Pakistan
Progress, but in measured terms
Girls’ access to education in Pakistan has been restricted. Despite improvements in the last 20 years, underlying factors still make the state education system inefficient and must be addressed if girls’ access to education is to be ensured. The current male to female literacy ratio is still at 65:40.
More...
Tackling barriers to education caused by attitudes towards inclusion in Tanzania
There are numerous barriers to inclusive education in Tanzania, at the national, community and school levels. While the lack of basic resources is a problem, attitudes are also barriers to participation and learning.
More...
From enrolment to participation
Education for children with disabilities in India
In recent years the Government of India has changed various policies and laws to enable young people with disabilities to receive education. However, conflicting goals and a lack of clarity still affect disabled young people’s experiences and outcomes of education.
More...
Ensuring educational inclusion in emergencies
When a crisis such as conflict or natural disaster strikes, it is vital to put education back in place so that children do not miss out on months or years of learning. However, efforts to improve education for marginalised children can be disrupted in emergencies. Children facing the biggest barriers to education can be invisible to emergency teams facing tight time pressures, particularly when parents of disabled children or girls consider it too unsafe to go to school.
More...
Language, ethnicity and education in Peru
Peru is a multicultural, multilingual country with near universal access to primary schooling. However, equity, inclusion and quality are still to be achieved. Among Peruvian children, those who speak an indigenous language show lower levels of enrolment, higher repetition and drop out, lower school achievement and are often
overage for their grade. Bilingual education is not available for most of these children, although research shows that using the mother tongue has better learning outcomes, especially at a young age.
More...
Reducing school dropouts through inclusive approaches to education in Ghana
Well-implemented inclusive education should address the learning needs of all children vulnerable to being marginalised and excluded from education. Inclusive approaches often do not take account of children who once had access to education, but have since dropped out of school. Research on the causes of dropout suggest that school-level factors – for example, poor teaching methods, persistent learning difficulties, poor attendance and corporal punishment – act singularly or in combination to produce dropout.
More...
Understanding inclusive education
What is it and why do it?
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), inclusive education “involves changes and modifications in content, approaches, structures and strategies, with a common vision that covers all children of the appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to educate all children.” Put simply, inclusive education is Education for All (EFA). Without the specific focus of inclusive education on removing barriers to participation and learning for those now excluded, EFA will not be achieved.
More...
Useful weblinks
PDF version
What do you think?
Please write and tell us your views about the issues raised in insights. And what topics would you like to read about? Email insights@ids.ac.uk with your ideas.
insights is published 6 times a year. Write to us with your postal or email address to subscribe for free to print copies:
